Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Maha Saptami was celebrated across Assam on Saturday with religious fervour, traditional rituals and festive enthusiasm.
Maha Saptami rituals commenced with the ceremonial installation of the Navapatrika, followed by rituals performed according to traditional Hindu customs.
Thousands of devotees thronged temples, Shakti shrines and elaborately-decorated puja pandals to offer prayers to Goddess Durga, seeking peace, prosperity and the well-being of society.
With the completion of Maha Saptami rituals, the five-day Durga Puja celebrations entered another significant phase, with Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami to follow before the festivities culminate in Vijayadashami.
The festive spirit was evident across Guwahati, Nalbari and other parts of the state, where devotional chants, the rhythmic beats of dhak, traditional music and the fragrance of incense filled puja venues.
Devotees offered flowers, lamps, incense sticks and other sacred items to Mahishasuramardini, praying for the triumph of good over evil.
After a year-long wait, Durga Puja is being celebrated on a grand scale across Assam, with colourful decorations, dazzling illumination and innovative pandal themes attracting large crowds.
More than 500 community Durga Pujas are being organised in Guwahati alone.
Areas such as Bishnupur, Bhaskar Nagar, Bimal Nagar, Maligaon-Pandu, Kumarpara, Athgaon, Latasil and Geetanagar have donned a festive atmosphere, with puja committees showcasing distinctive themes and artistic decorations.
Large numbers of families and groups of friends were seen thronging the puja pandals in new attires and enjoying traditional delicacies, including jalebi, till late night.
Traditional puja rituals were also performed at Barowari Puja in Uzan Bazar, Harisabha, Ugratara and the Kamakhya Temple, where age-old religious practices remain central to the celebrations.
At the Hanuman Temple in Lachit Nagar, the festivities began on Friday with the traditional Belbaran ritual.
Around 30 community Durga Pujas are being organised in Amingaon and North Guwahati this year.
The Amingaon Kalibari Sarbajanin Durga Puja has entered its 56th year. The organising committee has constructed an attractive ceremonial gateway using bamboo and rope, avoiding plastic and thermocol as part of an environmentally conscious initiative. The structure looks particularly striking under decorative lights at night.
Meanwhile, the Sri Sri Dakshineswari Kalibari Durga Puja Committee at Railway Kalibari Colony in Panbazar, Guwahati, is celebrating the 75th year of its Sarbajanin Durga Puja, marking a significant milestone in its history.
Netaji Sporting Club, which is organising its 54th Durga Puja, has adopted a special theme commemorating 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram.
The pandal, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 35 lakh, highlights the historical and cultural significance of the song. A major attraction is a 15-foot-high portrait of Zubeen Garg, created by artists from Kolkata and displayed alongside the idol of Goddess Durga. The initiative seeks to combine religious devotion with a tribute to the singer, whose contribution to Assam's cultural identity continues to resonate with people across the state.
Alongside the festive celebrations, traditional religious practices remain an integral part of Durga Puja at several temples in Guwahati and other parts of Assam. Animal sacrifices are scheduled at select religious sites during Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami.
At Bisweswar Devalaya, more than 50 buffalo sacrifices are scheduled to be sacrificed on Maha Ashtami, while two buffaloes are scheduled to be sacrificed at Ugratara Devalaya in the city. At the Kamakhya Temple, sacrificial rituals began during Navaratri, with seven buffalo sacrifices scheduled daily until Navami.
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